Marcus Horan, preparing for this year's first Six Nations match
After the trials of last weekend's Heineken Cup fixtures, members of the 35-man Ireland rugby squad are turning their thoughts to the first Six Nations test, against Wales next weekend. "We essentially have two weeks of camp [ in Dublin] with the Irish team," says Munster frontrow Marcus Horan. "Things start to heat up around media day early this week, when there are new cap announcements. Midweek we get a day off, which is handy for Dublin lads, who get to go home, but the rest of us mugs have to hang around the hotel."
The team will travel to Cardiff later in the week. "We get a light training session at the stadium the day before the match," says Horan. "I have great memories of the Millennium Stadium from the Heineken Cup final last year . . . With the roof closed there are few stadiums that can beat it."
A good night's sleep is an essential part of the preparation. "The night before the game you try to stick to your routine and sleep as best you can, but the nerves are at you. On the morning of the match we do some line-out work and have a light lunch. It's important to get some food to help energy levels. The trip to the grounds is superb, driving through the crowd, especially in a small city like Cardiff."
On the back of a Triple Crown win, expectations are high. "Gone are the days when we just enjoyed playing together," he says. "We enjoy winning together now, and I think we all feel the next step for us is to win a championship. The Six Nations is very different to the autumn internationals, because there is silverware up for grabs."
Beyond the Wales game, Horan is focusing on the matches against France and England at Croke Park. "My background is hurling in Co Clare, and I was there when they won the All-Ireland, so it would be a dream come true for me to run out there as a player."
Ireland play Wales on Sunday, February 4th at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff.